Arts Commission Yokohama Announces Artists Selected for the 2026-2027 ACY Artist Fellowship Grant

Arts Commission Yokohama (ACY), operated by the Yokohama Arts Foundation, has announced the recipients of the 2026-2027 Tsunagaru Sozo: ACY Artist Fellowship Grant. Since fiscal 2016, ACY has continued to provide grants supporting artists’ career development. From fiscal 2023, the program added requirements for residency in Yokohama and exchange with local residents. Beginning this year, the activity period has been expanded to two years: the first year is devoted to residency and research, followed by a public presentation of work in the second year. The grant aims to support artists in building their careers through creation and presentation, while also helping the bases where they stay and present work form new connections with art and local communities. It also seeks to create opportunities for citizens to rediscover the appeal of their neighborhoods through art. This year, 65 applications were submitted in the fields of visual arts and performing arts. Following document screening and interviews, two artists were selected: Ayako Kato and Rina Machida. Ayako Kato is a violinist. Starting from the bodily practices of classical music in Japan, she creates recitals and performances that observe gestures rooted in people’s lives. She graduated at the top of her class from Senzoku Gakuen College of Music and its graduate string instrument program, and completed the master’s program at IMEP, the music institute in Namur, Belgium, with the highest score in her year. She has appeared in performances organized by the Japan Federation of Composers, Mori Art Museum, and others. Her major works include “I’m Meat!” and “Not You.” She was selected as an artist dispatched to Bangkok under the fiscal 2025 Performing Arts Specialist Dispatch Program and received the MVP Award at the Kanagawa Performing Arts Award 2026. Rina Machida is an artist. Born in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture in 1997, she is based in Tokyo as of 2026. She works on activities for “events,” including video installations, and is interested in how a “frustrating body” that cannot be fully controlled by one’s own will relates to environments and others. Her major exhibitions include “Hitori (Bocchi)” at Goethe-Institut Vila Kamogawa and Roppongi Art Night 2025. She is also active in film, with screenings in more than 20 countries, and works in curation. The selection process consisted of a first-round document review and a second-round interview by three jurors, with final decisions based on an overall evaluation of the submitted documents and interview content. Selection criteria included originality, the significance of working in Yokohama, and the feasibility of the plan and budget. The grant is titled the 2026-2027 Tsunagaru Sozo: ACY Artist Fellowship Grant. The period runs from the selection decision until February 13, 2028. The grant amount is 1,000,000 yen in the first year and 1,000,000 yen in the second year. Support will be provided by ACY, base staff, and mentors, including consultation, information provision, introductions to people and organizations, support for activities at the base, publicity support, and documentation and archiving.